Why I only made 10k miles on my new tyres.

[allias]

Often people are supprised by numbers of miles they did on brand new tyres. Best example are tyres that comes with brand new Octavia like Continetals. Why we are having this problem? Customers are asking me how come they got new tyres and made only 10-12k miles and they need changing.

Its all down to few factors that describe tyre. Main one that influence this, is "TREADWEAR". It can be found on a side of every tyre between other two index - Temperature & Traction. Treadwear is described by numbers and temp & traction by letters.

Lets go back to treadwear. Source wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treadwear_rating

----------------------

The wear on tires that are being tested ("candidate tires") is compared to the wear of Course Monitoring Tires (CMT), which are sold by the NHTSA at its UTQG test facility in San Angelo, Texas. Both types of tires are mounted on vehicles that will be driven in a convoy during the test, thus ensuring that the candidate tires and the CMT tires experience the same road conditions. The convoy, typically one of four or fewer vehicles, will drive 7200 miles on public roads in West Texas. Candidate tire wear will be checked during and after the test, and compared to the wear on the CMT tires from the same convoy.

(...)

The Treadwear Grade describes how a tire manufacturer views the wear of a given tire. In theory, this means that a tire with a 200 grade will wear twice as long as a tire with a 100 grade. However, tire manufacturers are not under any obligation to grade a tire based on the test results, except to say that they can not overstate the grade. This is enforced by NHTSA requiring documentation to justify any assignment of a grade on a tire.

Please note: As Course Monitoring Tires have changed, their treadwear grades have changed to numbers considerably higher than 100. As a result, it would be incorrect to say that a tire with a treadwear grade of 200 gets twice the life of the Course Monitoring Tire.

-----------------------

So in easy words tyres like OEM Contis that comes with Treadwear 140, can be good for about 10k miles in test conditions. Rest of it is down to your driving style and power/torque of your vehicle. So there will be number of drivers that can get 7k miles on them or others with 20k miles on them. It all will be down to numbers of different factors that influence how quick it wear.

So to answer your question what tyre to choose, I will tell you to look for tyre that will have the highest number like the one on picture:

Source google.

Manufactures create tyres with balanace of grip, temperature resistance, treadwear/life and of course price. But if you expect more miles from your next set - look for one with higher number.

140 --> 10800 miles

280 --> 21600 miles

360 --> 25920 miles

keep in mind its all down to other factors as well but it will be a very good guideline.

[Babs]

But wouldn't a higher treadware, mean harder rubber, and thus less grip?

[allias]

Thats why you got other factor like Traction = A and Temperature = AA which means great traction and temperature resistance. High perforamnce tyres will have less treadwear but better Traction and Temperature index.

[Raf_]

I've got a feeling that this is gonna be a really confusing thread that you'll be needing a PHD to understand lol

[allias]

Do you really need PHD for this?

Treadwear 140 --> 10800 miles

Treadwear 280 --> 21600 miles

Treadwear 360 --> 25920 miles

Take that as a laboratory figures and understand that your driving, road surface, tyre pressure & temperature will effect it and it might be higher or lower. This is just a guideline for tyre. Performance tyre that comes with 140 will last 10000miles and touring tyre used on your kids carrier with treadwear 420 will last you for about 30k miles.

[Babs]

So...

Treadwear 140 --> 10800 miles --> Very grippy

Treadwear 280 --> 21600 miles --> Average grip

Treadwear 360 --> 25920 miles --> Low grip

???

[999pooch]

Do you really need PHD for this?

Treadwear 140 --> 10800 miles

Treadwear 280 --> 21600 miles

Treadwear 360 --> 25920 miles

Take that as a laboratory figures and understand that your driving, road surface, tyre pressure & temperature will effect it and it might be higher or lower. This is just a guideline for tyre. Performance tyre that comes with 140 will last 10000miles and touring tyre used on your kids carrier with treadwear 420 will last you for about 30k miles.

So, is there such a thing as a tyre with high treadwear AND high(ish) traction?

Also Allias I may need to visit you re: allignment. You added a comment after my wheels were incorrectly balanced at KF. That has all been sorted, but they adjusted tracking and has put my steering wheel at about 5-10 degrees to the right when travelling straight (also slight left bias normally).

How much to put right? Do I need to book first?

[allias]

Right... I will try to explain it on two exaples. I will do it based on Amercian web as I know it for info on tyres:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=ContiSportContact+2+SSR&partnum=245VR7SPC2SSR&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

ContiSportContact 2 SSR(Max Performance Summer) - Treadwear 280 Temperature AA Traction A

and

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Hankook&tireModel=Optimo+H725A&partnum=245HR7H725A&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

Optimo H725A(Grand Touring All-Season) - Treadwear 360 Temperature A Traction A

Well then. Conti tyre will be a performance tyre with guideline for about 20k miles with very good temperature resistance and very good traction. Tyre like that with this pattern will be very good for daily drivers with occasional racing/hard cornering and similar down to very high temperature resistance. There is a chance that this tyre will last over 20k on car driven by "grandfather" but at the same time 12k for a "young racer - John" wont be a supprice. At least during those racy times he will get great grip and traction.

Going back to Hankook which wont be great for performance with high power and high torque down to tread as well as Temperature resistance. Tyre like this will be perfect for our "grandfather" on his heavy car where he does occasional shopping and sunday driving. It should last him for good 3-4 years as I doubt he will make that many miles within that time (25k miles). There is a chance with his driving style set like that will last for 50k miles just because this tyre compund wont be as soft to hold high miles but less performance.

So to sum it our granfather will be very happy with Hankook on his Superb for next 4 years where John will be complaining as his VRS with Revo chip destroyed his new set of Continetals during occasional road racing within 15k miles.

Does that clear it a bit?

999pooch I will speak to you over PM.

[allias]

So...

Treadwear 140 --> 10800 miles --> Very grippy

Treadwear 280 --> 21600 miles --> Average grip

Treadwear 360 --> 25920 miles --> Low grip

???

More less as you need to take other things in consideration as well. Tread patern, temperature resistance, traction and type of tyre compound.

Edited 6 February, 2012 by allias

[sparky2]

Thanks for the guide allias, so have tyres gone softer over the last 10 years with a lesser treadwear index ? how have Michellin tyres changed over this period as they had a good reputation for lasting,It just seems to me that manufacturers are using softer compounds that wear out quicker and so you then buy more tyres sooner and at higher prices.

ps - have a look here for american info http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=48

Edited 7 February, 2012 by sparky2

[allias]

Over the same 10 years cars start coming out with more power what pushed for higher grip & traction for safety and pleasure. Same as F1 technology where softer gives better grip and shorter times on corners and harder compubd last more laps.

[Web Ferret]

Thanks for this allis. I had sizes, load index, speed rating sussed but I'd never figured out what the tread wear was.

[allias]

Glad you found this usefull.

[Reavenger]

Good information. Thanks.